The library has compiled a large variety of Book Reviews from staff and through programs such as Read It & Rate It. These reviews are available to you to help you make an educated decision on titles you’d like to read.
You may search reviews by title using the search function, browse via genre using the category list provided or look for random reviews in the list below that are sorted by newest to oldest.
Would you like to submit a review? Use the Read It & Rate It form on the right side of the page.
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor Fantasy * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Sunny is a young albino American-Nigerian who has been living in Nigeria since her mother had a premonition that something bad was going to happen to her if she stayed in the States. Her father never wanted a daughter and certainly never wanted to go back to Nigeria, so he holds a grudge against her. When Sunny’s classmate, Orlu, introduces her to … Read more
Ashes by Ilsa Bick Audio edition Horror Supernatural Suspense Thriller * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Alex, a teenage girl with cancer, decides to hike out into the woods to scatter her parents’ ashes and make some decisions about her own life. While she’s out in the wilderness, something catastrophic happens – perhaps an EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) – and the whole world changes. Some people die outright, some people change into zombie-like cannibalistic creatures, … Read more
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber Mystery Realistic Fiction Suspense Thriller * * * * Stars (Great!) Perry Stormaire’s family has been hosting Gobija Zaksauskas – a Lithuanian foreign exchange student – for the past few months. Gobi is definitely not what Perry had hoped for (hot, experienced), although she does have an outrageous accent. But she’s not what she seems, either. Just before she’s supposed to go back to Lithuania, she expresses … Read more
Masterpiece by Elise Broach Fantasy * * * Stars (Pretty good) Martin is a young beetle who lives in the walls of the Pompadays’ apartment in New York City. The beetles don’t think much of Mr. & Mrs. Pompaday or bouncing baby William, but they are quite fond of 11-year old James (Mrs. Pompaday’s son from a previous marriage). Martin wants to do something special for James on his birthday, so he uses James’ new … Read more
Wild Things by Clay Carmichael Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) When 11-year old Zoë’s mother passes away, she is taken in by her uncle, Dr. Henry Royster. Both are accustomed to being on their own – Zoë had to take care of herself because of her mom’s mental illness and poor choices, and Henry lost wife #3 and became an artist (he makes large metal sculptures) – and both are rather independent … Read more
The Life Cycle of a Snail by L.L. Owens Juvenile Non-fiction Picture book * * * Stars (Pretty good) This introduction to snail biology will have young readers racing out to their own backyards to locate their slimy subjects for a closer inspection. Detailed, close-up photographs accompany explications of snails’ life cycle – the one of the land snail laying its eggs in a moist patch of soil is a particularly good catch. While some … Read more
The Book That Eats People by John Perry illustrated by Mark Fearing Picture book * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) This book EATS people. So, if you should find it, be careful. If it makes any funny noises, you’ll want to stop reading immediately, pile stuff on top of it, and probably run for your life – just to be safe. This is the story of the book and the people it’s eaten (a … Read more
Pssst! by Adam Rex Picture book * * * * Stars (Great!) A little girl goes to the zoo one day and is called over to each of the animal enclosures (by their inhabitants) and asked to acquire certain things. The gorilla wants some new tires (his tire swing is broken), the bats want some flashlights (for their friend the hippopotamus, who doesn’t like the dark), etc. etc. Everyone has a (mostly) reasonable explanation for … Read more
Could Be Worse by James Stevenson Picture book * * * Stars (Pretty good) Grandpa always says the same thing, “could be worse,” whenever his grandkids tell him something. They assume that it’s because he leads a very uninteresting life. To spice things up, he tells them a story of his previous evening – when he was abducted from his bed, horrible things happen to him, and he finally returns shaken, but alive. Their response? … Read more
The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee Picture book * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) When the Boss Baby arrives, he immediately takes control of his parents’ lives – “He put Mom and Dad on a round-the-clock schedule, with no time off.” Dressed in black footie pajamas that look just like a power suit (with a convenient flap at the back) and a tie, the Boss Baby proceeds to throw his weight around. It’s truly … Read more